Dare to Live Without Limits Week of 6/28/2021
Develop your capacity to break free of limitations
You won't accomplish anything you don't think is possible. Limitations are either self-imposed or externally imposed. Regardless of the source, when you believe a limitation is true, it becomes a brick wall which halts all progress.
Believing you can't, or won't successfully accomplish a particular task creates an immovable barrier. This happens regardless of whether or not the limitation is real. Perceived limitations are extremely powerful. For example, elephants can be conditioned to allow a chain staked into the ground to hold them captive.
The elephant's conditioning begins when it's very young. At that point, the small elephant isn't strong enough to pull the chain out of the ground. The elephant learns that his freedom is limited by the length of the chain.
As the elephant grows in size and strength, he accepts the limitation of the chain as inevitable. So, the fully grown powerful elephant submits to the chain even though he could easily tear it out of the ground.
The same conditioning can be demonstrated with a fish tank full of fish. A tank is divided in half using a piece of clear plexiglass. Ten goldfish are then placed on one side of the tank. After several days, the fish become conditioned to the plexiglass and stop attempting to get to the other side of the tank.
The plexiglass is then removed. Even though the barrier has been eliminated, all of the fish remain on one side of the tank. They act as if the barrier is still there, even though it is no longer stopping them. The perception of a limitation is enough to limit their behavior.
Limitations take hold when your mind becomes convinced that something isn’t possible. Internal limitations include self-doubt, low self-esteem, bad experiences, perceived degree of difficulty, and fear of failure.
Self-doubt is overcome through positive experiences. Tackle smaller tasks which are easier to accomplish. As your confidence builds with each success, you can pursue larger goals. Using this approach boosts your confidence, which in turn leads to more success. This process also counteracts previous bad experiences with new positive ones.
Anything worthwhile takes effort. Limiting yourself to the easiest path returns the fewest rewards. Don’t allow difficulty to limit your pursuits. The most challenging goals are accomplished one small step at a time.
Fear of failure becomes a mental monster of limitation if left unchecked. Since failure only occurs when you give up, never give up. Persistence defeats failure. Committing to doing whatever it takes to reach your objectives breaks the chains of fear.
Limitations are external when you capitulate to other’s opinions. The world is filled with critics and naysayers. There’s no shortage of people who tell you what won’t work and why. They’ll also try to scare you with stories of others who have failed.
Pay no attention to what other people say, think, or do. Live your life your way. Throughout history, successful people have been maligned and derided while pursuing their goals. They were told achieving their goals was impossible. Their success was only possible because they followed their own path.
Excuses are another limitation. Instead of conjuring up excuses as to why you can’t, or won’t succeed, find at least one reason why you will. Excuses for failure are defeated by reasons for success.
Limitations exist in your mind, so use your mind to break free. It's your belief in the power of limitations which gives them legitimacy. If you believe you can’t do something, you won’t. But if you believe you can do something, you will. You can achieve whatever your mind can conceive and believe.
NOW AVAILABLE: "Dare to Live Without Limits," the book. Visit www.BryanGolden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. E-mail Bryan at bryan@columnist.com or write him c/o this paper. 2021 Bryan Golden